Mentoring Men for the Masters
104 King Arthur Drive, Wilmington, NC 28403

Jan 25

Written by: Dr. Bill Bennett
1/25/2012 10:41 AM 

 If the Bible is not the very Word of God, the Bible itself lies because it emphatically claims to be just that.  In the Old Testament alone the words “God said,” or “the Word of the Lord came” occur nearly 4000 times  (700 in the first 5 books).  Thirteen hundred years later, the apostle wrote these words about the Bible, “All Scripture is God-breathed…” (2 Tim. 3:16).  The Apostle Peter wrote “knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” (2 Peter 1:20-21).  Jesus Himself made the ultimate statement to His Father about the Bible, “Your Word is truth.” (John 17:17)[1]

 My father taught me “A man is no better than his word.”  Neither is God, and “He is perfectly willing to lay His reputation on the line behind the veracity of His Word, but we should have solid and verifiable reasons to believe the Bible is really God’s Word.”[2]  There are 7 irrefutable reasons as I see it. 

1. THE BIBLE IS HISTORICALLY VERIFIABLE - The trustworthiness of any historical account is based on the evidence for that account.  Example:  We believe Julius Caesar lived - only 10 manuscripts exist of him.  We believe Plato existed - only 7 manuscripts exists; we believe George Washington lived and was our first president - we have copies of his first and second inaugural, crossing the Delaware, etc. but much less than we have of the Bible.

 Consider this - there are over 4105 full and partial manuscripts of the New Testament.  This is 40 times the number of manuscripts of other great historical figures.  What about the Old Testament?  The oldest manuscript we had of the Old Testament prior to 1947 were dated AD 900.  But the Dead Sea Scrolls discovered in 1947, contain fragments of almost every book in the Old Testament, dated 150 years before Christ, and these books read almost word for word  as did the manuscripts  dated AD 900.  “No other book from the ancient world has as much manuscript support or is as closely tied to the original even as the Bible.” [3] 

2. THE BIBLE IS MIRACULOUSLY INDESTRUCIBLE  - “Throughout the ages, the Bible has been the major object of Satan’s assaults.  Celsus tried to destroy it with his brilliance, but he failed.  Prophyry tried to demolish it with the hammer of philosophy, but he failed.  Diocletian tried to stamp it out with imperial power, proclaiming by edict, Extincto Nomine Christianorium, meaning “the name of the Christians has been extinguished, but he failed.  Voltaire said (about 1775), “Fifty years from now the world will hear no more of the Bible.”  His office later became a center for the distribution of Bibles.  

There are more copies of the Bible by far than any book of antiquity (4105 Ancient Greek manuscripts of the New Testament and some 15,000 to 30,000 Latin versions of the Holy Scriptures).  It is impossible for God’s Book to die.  Why?  Because standing behind the Book is its perfect Author, who promised 2700 years ago, “The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, but the Word of God shall stand forever.” (Isaiah 40:8; 1 Peter 1:24).[4] 

3. THE BIBLE IS ARCHEOLOGICALLY AUTHENTICATED.  There are hundreds of example of how archeologically has confirmed the Bible.  I will give one of the most obvious - the falling down of the walls of Jericho.  For years liberal critics rejected the story, insisting that walls don’t just fall down, and the Israelites could not have marched around it 7 times in one day because it was so large.  “Then Professor John Garstang, a British archaeologist, excavated the site of ancient Jericho and discovered that the walls of the city had fallen so completely that the attackers were able to climb up and over the ruins into the city.  Why was that so unusual?  Because the evidence showed the walls had collapsed outward.  But in this case just the opposite occurred - just as the book of Joshua records.”[5]  One liberal scholar said, whose name I cannot recall, “I finally have to believe the walls of Jericho did fall down, “to which I replied, “I am sure God was greatly encouraged.” 

4. THE BIBLE IS SCIENTIFICALLY CORRECT.  The Bible is not a science book, but since it is all true, when it speaks of scientific matters, it is reliable.  Example:  Before 1492 and when Columbus discovered America, many believed the world was flat.  “Columbus had to overcome this popular opinion in order to finance the voyage that led to his discovery of America.  Columbus was convinced as he sailed from Spain that he not only would not “sail over the edge” but that he would eventually find his way back to Spain.  He wrote in his diary: “For the execution of the voyage to the Indies I did not make use of intelligence, mathematics or maps.  It is simply the fulfillment of what Isaiah had prophesied.  What prophecy from Isaiah was Columbus referring to?  “He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers.  He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in.” (Isaiah 40:22) Columbus was convinced that the world was a circle, not flat, and that there was no danger at all of “sailing off the sea.”  It never occurred to him that Scripture would be scientifically unreliable.”[6]  Another example:  George Washington died from “blood bleeding.”  “The blood loss came from a common cure for many illnesses in the day - attaching leeches to the skin of the patient to “bleed” the illness out of the body.  Usually the opposite effect happened:  the patient would die from losing blood, the greatest source of energy and infection fighting power his body had.  If only doctors had taken this verse seriously from a medical standpoint: “For the life of a creature is in the blood.”(Lev. 17:11) 

5. THE BIBLE IS PROPHETICALLY ACCURATE.  Any rational and honest person would believe in the veracity of the Bible because of its staggering accuracy in foretelling events which have already come to pass.  Thirty percent of the Bible consist of prophecy, and not one of its prophecies has ever been shown to be false.  Ex:  We think of the Psalms as the “Psalm of David,” written about 1000 years before the birth of Christ, and yet there are some 25 prophecies of detailed events concerning Christ in the Psalms such as: 

Prophecy:                                                       Fulfillment: 

            Incarnation - Psalm 2:1-12                                John 1:14

            Creation - Psalm 8:3-8                         John 1:3; Col. 1:16

            Death, Resurrection - Psalm 16:8-11                1 Cor. 15:3

            Betrayal - Psalm 41:9                                       Luke 22:3

            Millennial Reign - Psalm 132ff               Rev. 20:1-6

            Ascension - Psalm 110:1-7                               Acts 1:11  

6. THE BIBLE IS UNIFORM IN ITS MESSAGE. The Bible is actually 66 books, written over a period of 1500 years by 40 different authors, living on 3 continents (Asia, Europe, and Africa), writing in three different languages (Hebrew, Greek, Aramaic) on many controversial subjects, and yet concentrating on one theme, human redemption, and being in perfect agreement in their theological conclusions.  A scarlet thread runs from Genesis to Revelation, revealing that redemption is only through blood sacrifice - lambs in the Old Testament and the Lamb of God in the New Testament.[7] 

7. THE BIBLE IS PERSOANLLY TRANSFORMING -  The Bible, if true, must go beyond accuracy.  Something can be true and factual but have no personal significance.  But the Bible has proven to bring about personal, spiritual, physical, emotional and eternal change in innumerable persons, whole nations, and civilizations.  Example: 

1. St. Augustine, the foremost thinker of the church from AD400-1500, was an immoral, corrupt heretic until he heard the words of Romans 13:14, “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.”  He believed these words and was gloriously converted.  His “Confessions” are perhaps the greatest testimony on the power of the gospel to transform a life in history.
2. The Apostle Paul was a mean, self-centered, self-righteous “murderer of the saints,” and “religious terrorist,”  until he met the risen Christ on the Road to Damascus, and he, the “Master Destroyer of the church” became the “Master Missionary” to preach Christ to the ends of the earth.
3. Martin Luther, A Catholic Monk, was walking in darkness and spiritual bondage, until he confronted the Word of God in Habakkuk 2:4, quoted also in Romans 1:17; Gal. 3:11; and Hebrews 10:38, “The Just Shall Live by Faith.”  It is alleged that Luther heard these words from God Himself as he was ascending the “Scala Santa” in the Church of Rome, believing that every step he ascended worthily would reduce his years in purgatory for 14 years.  I climbed these steps myself years ago and saw with my own eyes about a dozen of the “faithful” still climbing these steps.  On and on I could cite great transformations which have occurred in history, but in the interest of time, I will mention just a few I have witnessed in my ministry: 

(1)    Dr. Carl Bates, pastor of FBC, Charlotte, was desperate and suicidal in a motel.  He tore a page out of the Gideon Bible with which to wipe his razor before he cut his throat, when Romans 6:23 caught his eye, “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”  Immediately convicted that he was facing physical and spiritual death, he fell on his knees, repented, trusted Jesus and became a great preacher, pastor, and seminary professor.

(2)    John Pace,  a red neck engineer, believed all preachers preached for money and none of them got his mind “out of the corn field,” he told me, until he heard me preach on a third grade level.  He was immediately overcome  by the simplicity and glory of the gospel, and for months attended our church, saying to me as he would leave, “Thank you, you  are the only guy who ever got my mind out of the corn field.”  Finally, a brother by the name of George Farrington, led him to Christ, and he became so happy in the Lord that I named his right foot “glory” and his left “Hal,” for when he walked he was just praising the Lord every moment of his life.

(3)    Janey Spencer, the best secretary on earth I believe for 19 years, a professed Christian and Southern Baptists, who joined the church and was baptized because “she loved God and wanted to be baptized with her friends.”  She sought to serve the Lord for some 30 years before she discovered she was lost and headed for hell.  She cried out to me in a prayer meeting, “Dr. Bennett, I’m lost, I’m lost, for I never trusted Jesus but went to the Father, by passing the cross, and never knew this until you came and told us we must repent and trust Jesus, not just believe in our heads.”  She fell on her knees and cried out for God to forgive and save her that day and became one of the most radiant Christians I ever knew.

(4)    Rodeo Outlaw, Arizona

(5)    Orthodox Jewish Ophthalmologist -Houston, Texas

(6)    C. S. Lewis

(7)    Campbell Morgan

(8)    Vance Havner

(9)    Billy Graham

 

 Questions and Answers 

1. The Bible is a book of 69 books, 39, 27, or 66?  Which?
2. The Bible consists of 1,189 chapters, 1246, 1442?  Which?
3. What was the only Old Testament book not in the Dead Sea Scrolls?  Why was it left out?
4. The Bible was written in three languages: Which?
   1. Hebrew, Greek, Arabic
   2. Latin, King James English, Greek
   3. Hebrew, Greek, Aramaic
5. The authors of the Bible lived in:  Which?
   1. Europe, Asia, Asia Minor
   2. Europe, Africa, Crete
   3. Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia. 
6. The Bible is non-contradictory.  Does this mean there are no apparent contradictions or problems of understanding parts of the Bible?
7. Have all these problems been answered by anybody?
8. Can you name a book which answers more than 800 problem questions?  (The Big Book of Bible Difficulties by Dr. Norman Geisler,.)
9. Does this book explain how the sun could stand still, etc?
10. Have you ever read a passage of the Bible you did not understand after much prayer, study and reflection?  What did you do?
11. What did perhaps the greatest expositor in the last hundred years say he did when he came to a passage he could not understand?  (Campbell Morgan)
12. Even though you may not understand a passage today does God promise he will reveal the meaning later?  Read Phil. 3:15.
13. Are there mysteries we should not expect to understand?  Deut. 29:29
14. Why does God reveal the meaning of His Word?  Deut. 29:29b
15. My mentor Dr. Lee Eddleman said to me, “Bill, I am not impressed when someone tells me he believes the Bible is infallible,” and then he told me why?  Guess what he said?
16. What did the 5-Point Calvinist say to me?
17. Utterly Personal Questions concerning each of us and the Bible?
    1. Do you really believe your Bible is the very Word of God?
    2. Do you really believe the Bible is God talking to you personally?
    3. Do you believe that makes the Bible your most valuable earthly possession?
    4. Then what are you doing with your Bible?
18. What should you be doing?

 

DAMNABLE ERRORS TO AVOID IN INTERPRETING THE BIBLE: 

1.      1 Tim. 6:10 - Money a great evil

2.      Exod. 20:14 - Thou shalt commit adultery

3.      Ephes. 4:8 - Thou shalt steal

4.      Rev. 8:1 - No women in heaven

5.      Matt. 3:1 - John is a Baptist

6.      Matt. 24:36 - Setting date of Second Coming

7.      2 Peter 1:16-21 - God spoke in a vision

8.      Rev. 22:18-19 - Taking away or adding a Word